A closer look
Before you could blindly open an app to get vague notifications telling you that 'your brain is a prison,' ancient astrologers used the astrolabe. This terrifyingly complex brass instrument was essentially the analog smartphone of the medieval world. It featured dozens of moving dials and plates that allowed a highly educated user to instantly calculate the position of the sun and stars at any given time. It was an absolute engineering marvel solely dedicated to figuring out if it was a good time to buy a goat.
